“Shades of my ancestors! And yours! Has Woodford any local history!!”
“Bother. I hate writing compos anyway.”
“It’s a Woodford tradition—trying for it.”
“Who started such a tiresome business?”
“An old chap named John Sargent—years and years ago. He left a fund to be used for that express purpose.”
“I hope he’s repented since; he’s had time to. Why didn’t he leave his money for something sensible—a gym, for instance?”
“Perhaps in his time they went in more for high thinking than high swinging. You can’t compete until you’ve reached a certain grade—the one you’ll be in, after the coming exams.”
“If—”
“After that you can try each grade. There’s one for the girls and one for the boys; conditions the same.”
“Are you going to try this time?”